“My father was a railway
Gateman at Samarlakota Division. During my childhood, I was quite fascinated by
the honking sounds of the speeding trains as I used to accompany my father
during the holidays. Everything was going on well until a day when my father
suffered a major heart attack.I was 20 years old, pursuing my graduation when
my father’s health deteriorated due to complications in his heart. I always dreamt of becoming
a national level Kabaddi player as I have participated in many district level
tournaments. We were solely dependent on our father’s income until then but the
destiny had something else in store for us as my father opted for a voluntary
retirement.Things were getting difficult for us as we faced severe financial
crisis in the family as there are days where we almost ran out of food. I
couldn’t bear the thought of my younger sister going to sleep hungry. I had
decided to take over my dad’s position as I was offered his post as a Railway
Gateman. It certainly made me more responsible in life as I had to take care of
my family. Things got back on track when I got married to my girlfriend and we
are blessed with a baby girl. Being a railway Gateman, it is utmost important
for me to ensure the public safety. We got to be alert every second during the
operations of railway control system as a minor mistake could result in a major
catastrophic event.”

#IndianRailways#Gateman#Andhra#Survival#Kabaddi#Sports#Struggle#Family#Samarlakota#HumansOfAndhra